"Deri, I have a bad feeling."

"Same here." He said, bringing his hands through his hair. "Something is very wrong. I spar with Morai all the time; he's nowhere near that strong."

"We have to get Liu away from here." She looked at him, and her fear was suddenly mixed with terrible sadness and regret. "We have to leave the city." There was a long silence, and she touched his cheek tenderly. "Deri, I—"

He pulled away from her and got to his feet. "I've got to get dressed. We'll swing by the armory and then we'll get your daughter back." He disappeared into the small side room. She looked herself over; she was still wearing her simple summer dress, and no shoes. She spotted Liu's backpack in the corner, rifled through it, and found a pair of her shoes. "Liu," she whispered, "You're always thinking of me."

She slipped on the shoes on just as Deri entered. He was wearing a casual shirt with the Atlantis Emblem on one shoulder. In the other arm he carried the wraith weapon. "Ready?"

She nodded, and they headed off to the armory.

The guards carried Liu back to the lab and set her on the floor in the center of the room.

"Leave us." He said.

"Head Scientist, she should be restrained." One of them said

"I can handle the child." He said, and waved him away.

Liu stood in silence, watching him. He was tearing though the room, looking for something. He tipped over a table, shattering it's fragile contents onto the floor.

"You're different." She said quietly.

Morai turned around and glared at her, his eyes cold. "The same can be said about you, little one."

"No," she said, calmly, "You've changed, or maybe something has changed you. What happened to you on that planet?"

"That is none of your concern." He turned to another crowded table, searched though it, and tipped it over.

"What are you looking for?"

He turned again and charged at her. "Do you always ask so many questions?"

She smiled suddenly, and it pushed Morai over the edge. He grabbed her by the throat with one hand and lifted her off the floor. "I am going to find a way out of this city and away from this planet, because I have learned that these Wraith are on their way." In a few long strides he crossed the room and pinned her to the wall. He stroked her cheek with one finger of his free hand. "It looks like you're family is coming to take you home." He dropped her onto the bed, and turned to the room again. A solid minute passed before he looked in her direction again. She was nowhere to be seen.

A twisted smile crossed his face and his voice dripped with a frightening sweetness. "Little one, where have you gone?" He crouched down slightly and inched towards the bed.

"I'm hiding," she said to him, "You'll never find me."

He dropped to his knees. "You shouldn't annoy me, Liu. I can be your friend."

"You were Deri's friend, but then, you're not the same person, are you?" Behind him, Liu stepped on the broken glass.

He turned sharply, but to him the room appeared empty. "Enough of these games."

"But I like this game." She said; her voice coming from another part of the room.

He spun around, looking slightly frantic. "What manner of creature are you?"

"You should know." She said, "Whatever you are, the man who you are controlling has spent a long time studying me. He knows what I can do."

"The people of this planet are foolish. They created my kind and assumed that they could control us. But how it is I that will control them."

"So he is gone then." She said with a note of sadness.

"Nothing of the host survives." As he looked around the room, his eyes settled the third table, which was standing upright. Liu let her illusion drop and he stormed towards her.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said. "And I'm sorry for something else too."

He walked towards her confidently. "For what?"

"I told him, the one who you have stolen, that I was not a wraith. I lied to him, and I'm sorry."

He smiled wickedly at her. "And what difference does that make to me?" As she watched, his eyes flashed and dimmed again.

At that moment, Liu changed. All of the fear and sadness left her, and what was left was something she didn't understand; and couldn't fight. She stared at him, and smiled. "I am Wraith." She pressed her hand against his chest, and he began to scream.

Heavy right? This was a really tough chapter to write, but I hoped it turned out okay.

I love you all, and your reviews make me happy!

Thank you!

Eveie